The Terrace, which opened in September, is part of an ongoing expansion and renovation of the Valley Football Center at Oregon State University. Oregon State University Athletic Department

By Sam WheelerFor the Oregon Beer Growler

Is there a better setting to drink Oregon craft beer than at a live college football game? There’s certainly an argument for it, and The Terrace at Reser Stadium in Corvallis is making a pretty good case.

Built as a part of an ongoing expansion and renovation of the Valley Football Center at Oregon State University, The Terrace offers fans a taste of Oregon’s vibrant craft beer, wine and culinary scenes.

The 13,000-square-foot space is about 50 feet behind and above the north end zone, making it the optimal location to watch OSU running back Ryan Nall ripping off a 54-yard touchdown against the Ducks at the end of November. Just don’t spill that $9 IPA.

“It’s authentic Oregon,” said Zack Lassiter, deputy athletic director for external operations at OSU. “We think it’s a fun way for people to experience Oregon State football. The vibe in the space is so different than anything you’ve ever seen before, but it’s such a huge part of who we are. People are really, really digging it.”

While you can buy membership and single-game VIP tickets for The Terrace, of which there are 600 available, about 1,000 Orange Passes are handed out — for free — to each game. An Orange Pass along with a game ticket allows patrons access to The Terrace. In addition to distributing the Passes at games, they’re going to be given away in the summer leading up to the season through social media channels and at the Corvallis Farmers’ Market.“A lot of times in sports stadiums it’s all about maximizing revenue and other pieces, but we never really try to create an experience that’s unique to our community,” Lassiter said. “We’ve really wrapped ourselves around this whole authentic Oregon story, and the craft beer scene is a huge part of that. It’s one of those things that makes this state so cool.”

Nineteen breweries and 13 vintners are registered vendors at The Terrace, Lassiter said, and the list is growing.

“You need to be based in Oregon, you need to have ties to Oregon State, and then you also have to be good, because you can’t sacrifice quality of product,” Lassiter rattled off as guidelines for interested vendors.

“We really allow each vendor to showcase what’s great for them,” Lassiter said. “A lot of them (vendors) went to school at Oregon State, or grew up going to games, and now they’ve graduated, went on to create their own business. Now they’re getting a chance to not only enjoy an Oregon State football game, but they’re able to showcase their business.”Tickets in the VIP section of the The Terrace include in-seat food and merchandise service and complimentary tastings during the game.

The September grand opening of The Terrace coincided with the Beavers drubbing Idaho State 37-7, and I foresee a lot of happy Beav fans dancing above the north end zone come Nov. 26. It’d be the first Civil War win for the orange men since a double-overtime 38-31 victory in 2007 at Autzen Stadium.